Shaft for golf clubs or the like



Se t. Y 92 p 1 7 D. F. BOYDEN SHAFT FOR GOLF CLUBS OR THE LIKE Filed M rch 5, 1927 Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT. "O FICE".

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SHAITFOlEGQLF CL'QIBQ OR THE LIKE.

Q Application filed larch 5, 18,27. 8er1a1 No. 173,005.

This invention relates to shafts more articularly intended for use in olf c ubs, and has for its object to provi' e a shaft which is constructed to withstand efiectively the stresses of use, which will possess the proper life and feel, and with which strips oosen' under the stresses of play, and

- the shaft loses in driving wer.

. It is well known that 'fierentparts of the shaft have to withstand different strains, and that a shaft usually breaks a short distance above the head, for it is here that the torsional stress caused by hitting the ball off center of the shaft-is greatesti and radually decreases toward the grip en of t e shaft. It is also well knownlthat the driving power of'the shaft occurs at its grip end, and that bamboo is a resilient power is not very efl'ective to take torsional stress.

With the foregoing facts in mind, the shaft of the present invention comprises a lower section made entirely of a wood such as hickory up to and above the point where material which transmits this driving maximum strain occurs, and above this drawings, wherein ,point there is formed a central, longitudinal, ta ering slot to receive a correspond: ingly-s aped lower end of an upper section of a material such as bamboo, this latter section being extended to a point sufliciently abbve the lower section to pr de a handle portion. With such a shaft, great driving power may be realized, and the pro r re-n sistance to the stresses of use aiforde Further features, advantageous details a Y and combination of parts will appear from the following more complete description of an embodiment shown on the accompanying Figure 1 represents in perspective a lurality of strips of bamboo to be assem led for the construction of the u per section.

F1gure'2 is aside view of the assembled strips; the dotted outline showing the strips before they are cut to fit into the lower section. I r

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same. Flgures 4 and 5 represent sections on the i Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a lan view of the lower end of. the assemble upper section.

Figure 7 illustrates in front view the shaft assembled with a head. I

Flgures 8, 9, 10 and 11 represent sections on the lines 8 8, 99, 10-10 and111l, respectively, of Figure 7.

Figure 12 illustrates in perspective a finished golf club.

Referring to Figure 7 of-the drawings, 1 represents the lower shaft section, which may be made of hickory or its equivalent. A longitudinal, tapering slot 2 extends centrally downwardly to a point somewhat above that at which maximum stress usu ally occurs, thus leaving a pair of fork members 7 of gradually diminishing thickness toward their ends, rojecting from the uncut portion 1). The s 0t 2 serves for the reception of a mating lon itudinally wedgeshaped upper section 3, w ich may be madenes 4-4 and 5- 5, respectively, of

of bamboo or other material of like charv acteristics.

I As shown in Figure 1, the section 3 is made up of a lurality of bamboo strips 4, 5, and 6, ofiflerent lengths, nested'to-j gether.

or enamel portion '0, the upper section is preferably made in such a way as to retain a maximum of this part of the bamboo. To this end, the inner or pith side i of each of the strips is cut to fit onto the enamel Inasmuch as the strongest and most resilient part of bamboo is its outer portion of the immediately adjacent strip,

the enamel portion of which latter has been smoothed down sufliciently-to make a nice fit. The section 3 thus comprises the strip The strips are v substantially" in their natural curvature,.

convex side of the assembled stri s is sfived ofl along the plane H, and t e concave side along the plane 6-6, to provide fiat surfaces for gluing onto the inner faces of the fork member f. The planesof skiving terminate suficiently short of the upper end of the strips to provide a handle portion 72. made entirely of bamboo. The section 3 is inserted in the slot 2 and glued or cemented in lace, and the rough sha tt is then turned own to size as on a lathe, it

,rom the grip to the drive end, as shown. By constructing a shaft as hereinbetore described, a minimum of the enamel portion of the bamboo is sacrificed. Furthermore, the bamboo strips are nested to one another and, due to-the non-homogeneous nature of this material, the center of torsional stress or neutral axis is eccentric to the axis of the shaft, which appears to give desirable characteristics to the shaft, j i

As indicated in Figure 7, a head 10 when assembled with the shaft is preferably mounted thereon, with its striking face 11 on the same side'as the enamel side of the wedge, as --such a stick is very efifective against the stresses of use. The shaft may be. wrapped with cord or other suitable reinforcingma'terial 1', at the lower end or the slog, 2 and a short distance below the grip on iv While I have described an upper section as comprising three strips of bamboo, a greater or less number of strips may be used, when desired. Also, if desired, this section may be one-piece when made of a suitable material; or it may be made'up of a plurality of strips of the same or dissimilarwoods, or of wood and bamboo. Shafts peossessing difi'erent characteristics ma thus constructed and demands of di erent While in the players met. articular shaft described hickory and bam 00 were used,

other woods may be em loyed in lieu thereof. For instance, ash, ancewood, or greenheart ma be used in lieu'of hickory, and

black p m, Bethabara, and-other woodsand canes may be used alone or in combination, in lieu of bamboo. Y

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention,'it is obvious that it is susceptible of change-and modification without departing from the spirit/or scope of invention as defined by the appended claims.

-WhatIclaim is: r 1. A shaft of the class described, comprising an upper section made of a plurality of strips of bamboo of different lengths nested together, and a lower section into which said upper section isfitted. 2. A shaft of the class described, comprismg an upper section comprisinga plurality preferably being made to taper as usual incense of strips of bamboo n together, the pith side of each stri being cut to receive the enamel side of t e strip adjacent thereto; and a lower section fixed to said upper section. 1

3. A shaft of the class described, comprising overlapping upper and lower sections, said upper section comprising a plurality of strips of bamboo nested together and extended to a point suiiicientl above the lower section to provide a hanle portion.

4. A shaft of the class described, comprising a lower section provided with a tapering slot terminating at a point above its lower end, and an upper, wedge-shaped section fitted into the slot of said lower section.

5. A shaft of the classdescribed, comprising a lower section provided with a central, longitudinal, tapering slot terminating ata' point above its lower end to form a pair of longitudinally extending fork members, and an upper, wedge-shaped section fitted into the slot of said lower section and secured to said fork members, said upper section ex tending sufficiently above the upper end of said lower section to provide a handle.

6. A shaft of the class described, comprising a lower section provided with a tapering slot terminating. at a point above its lower end and an upper, wedge-shaped section made up of a bamboo fitted into said lower section.

7. A shaft of the class described, comprising a lower section provided with a taperplurality of strips of.

lower end, and an upper,'wedge-shaped section comprising a plurality of strips of bamboo ofdiflerent lengths nested together,

fitted into said lower section and extendin sufiiciently beyond the upper. end of said lower section to form a handle.

- .9. A shaft of the class described, compris ing a lower section provided with a. tapering slot terminating at a. point above its lower end, and an upper, wedge-shaped section comprisin a plurality of strips of bamboo fitted mto said lower section, the

pith side of each strip being cut to receive the enamel side of the stripladjacent thereto. 10. In combination wi a shaft of the class described, comprisinga lower section provlded with a tapering slot terminating at 'a point above its. lower end, andan up: per section fitted into-said lower section and made up of a plurality of stri of bamboo, the pith side of each of which nests onto the enamel side of the strip adjacent thereto, of a head mounted on said shaft with. of bamboo and having flat side faces, and 21 its striking face on the same side as the lower section comprism enamel sides of said strips. ping and fixed to said aces.

11. A shaft of the. class described, eom- In testimony whereof I have afiixed my dinally wedge-shaped upsignatureprising'a, longitu the full diameter of 1 DWIGHT F. BOYDEN.

per section extending the shaft and madeof a plurality of strips members overlap- 

